Computers have become ubiquitous in monitoring and controlling manufacturing equipment. Very often, multiple distributed computer systems are utilized, with a need for such computers to communicate with each other. One of the primary jobs given to such distributed computer systems is to monitor the manufacturing equipment to insure that it is operating in a safe manner. Since humans have now become so reliant upon such computers monitoring the safety of their manufacturing equipment, it is imperative that such safety systems be foolproof and reliable. This is especially true with respect to electrical systems that can store large amounts of energy, thus posing significant hazards to both people and equipment. Using off the shelf commercial computer equipment and software to control these systems complicates the problem because of their inherent lack of reliability. As a result, there is a need in the art for a system to be coupled to such computer systems to insure personnel safety and cause systems to “fail safe” in the event of computer or software failure. Without such reliable safety systems, the result can be very costly from the standpoint of destroyed equipment, injuries, or loss of life.